Godolphin Is Taking the Long Way Around

Traditionally, the road to the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle passes through Kentucky, California, Florida or New York, sites of the Blue Grass Stakes, Santa Anita Derby, Florida Derby and Wood Memorial, respectively.

Simon Crisford and Saeed bin Suroor are trying to reroute it through Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Crisford is the racing manager for Godolphin Racing Inc., Suroor the stable’s main trainer.

Bypassing the traditional prep races leading up to the Kentucky Derby, the pair last year sent China Visit and Curule to Churchill Downs after both colts had done their 3-year-old prep work in the Middle East.

China Visit finished sixth and Curule seventh, just as Godolphin’s Worldly Manner had finished seventh the year before.

Still, Crisford and Suroor were not discouraged.

This year, they followed the same pattern, with Express Tour and the Irish-bred Street Cry competing as 2-year-olds in the United States and then being shipped to Dubai to prepare for the Kentucky Derby.

It’s a tactic that has raised eyebrows among some trainers but one that Godolphin Racing--owned by Sheikh Mohammed, crown prince of Dubai--will stick to in the future.

“We’ve only tried twice before and I think you’ve got to give it a number of years before you can make any hard and fast judgment on what the right approach is,” Crisford said.

“Obviously, we understand that all the horses in America have a traditional American preparation for the race. From our point of view, we’re very happy with the way we’re doing it.”

Four-time Derby-winning trainer Wayne Lukas supports the Godolphin approach, arguing that it eventually will pay dividends.

“I think there’s [a Derby victory] in their future, if not this year,” Lukas said. “I think they’re doing well with their horses. I wouldn’t count them out.

“They’re certainly fit horses, training in that atmosphere. The thing that was probably a pleasant surprise for me, looking at their horses coming from that climate and everything, was how well they looked when they got here.

“Street Cry looked terrific when he got here. And you’d better put [Express Tour] in the equation.”

Out of the equation, unfortunately for Godolphin, is Street Cry, who will miss Saturday’s Derby after injuring his right front ankle during a workout last week.

The colt, who finished a nose behind Express Tour in the Grade III UAE Derby at Nad Al Sheba and earlier had won the UAE 2000 Guineas, was considered the better of the two Godolphin challengers.

“I think when you have two chances in the race, obviously you’ve got to feel more confident than if you’ve only got one,” Crisford said. “So we don’t feel quite as hopeful as we were feeling. Losing Street Cry was a big blow to our camp because we thought he had all the right credentials for a race like the Kentucky Derby.

“But Express Tour is a very, very high-class horse, so I think we’re going into the race hopeful rather than confident. . . .

“Only the race itself will show if he’s really good enough to win it, but certainly what we saw in Dubai when he won the UAE Derby and all of his preparation and training, he’s a deserving candidate.”

The Florida-bred Express Tour, bought for a reported $1.1 million in November after winning three successive races at Calder Race Course, will be ridden by David Flores on Saturday.

The chestnut son of Tour D’Or and Express Fashion is being prepared by assistant trainer Tom Albertrani, who described Express Tour as “a lot better horse than China Visit and Curule” and talked about the track the colt has been working on in Dubai.

“It’s a nine-furlong oval track, similar to the American race tracks,” Albertrani said. “Compared to Churchill Downs, it’s a little deeper. There’s more sand on it and it’s a little cuppier, but we try to keep it at a level of consistency so it’s similar to the tracks here.

“This track is quite firm, it looks like. But we still train the same way, regardless of the racetrack. Our methods of training are pretty much the same as anyone over here.”

Albertrani said if Express Tour doesn’t win Saturday, Godolphin already has a plan for next year.

“Just bring a better horse,” he said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Prep School

Leading prep races that have produced Kentucky Derby winners:

Race: Derby Winners

Blue Grass Stakes: 22

Wood Memorial: 18

Florida Derby: 18

Santa Anita Derby: 14

Flamingo Stakes: 13

Fountain of Youth: 10

San Felipe Stakes: 10

San Vicente Stakes: 9